Agriculture and Desertification

The world's drylands, contrary to popular misconceptions of being barren unproductive land, contain some of the most valuable and vital ecosystems on the planet. These dryland environments have surprising diversity and resiliency, supporting over two billion people, approximately thirty-five percent of the global population (UNEP, 2003). In fact, approximately seventy percent of Africans depend directly on drylands for their daily livelihood (UNEP, 2003). However, these precious and crucial areas are at a crossroad, endangered and threatened by the devastating process of desertification. There are over one hundred definitions for the term desertification', however the most widely used and current definition is as follows: desertification refers to the land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions due to human activities and climate variations, often leading to the permanent loss of soil productivity and the thinning out of the vegetative cover (UNCCD, 2003). It is important to note that desertification is not the expansion and contraction of deserts or hyper-arid territories, which grow and decrease both naturally and cyclically. French ecologist Louis Lavauden first used the term desertification in 1927 and French botanist Andre Aubreville, when witnessing the land degradation occurring in North and West Africa in 1949 popularized this term (Dregne, 242). The causes of desertification include overgrazing, overcultivation, deforestation and poor irrigation practices. Climatic variations, such as changes in wind speed, precipitation and temperature can influence or increase desertification rates, but they are not catalysts to the process- it is the exploitative actions of humans that trigger desertification (Glantz, 146). The most exploited area historically has been Africa. In the Sahel (transition zone between the Sahara and the Savanna) of West Africa during the period of 1968 to 1973, desertification was a main cause of the deaths of over 100,000 people and 12 million cattle, as well as the disruption of social organizations from villages to the national level (USGS, 1997). As a result of the catastrophic devastation in the Sahel, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1977, where an agreement was reached to eradicate desertification by the year 2000. Obviously this goal was not achieved. Countries and organizations, notably in the industrialized world, have been unwilling to provide significant and sufficient financial and economic aid to countries most impacted by this issue (Mainguet, 2003). Consequently, desertification is out of control, threatening the sustainability of the world's environment, disrupting social structures and well-being, and impairing economic growth. This crisis reaches beyond the local, directly affected communities, impacting and jeopardizing world stability. Environmentally, desertification reduces the world's freshwater reserves due to water over consumption and irrigation mismanagement, decreases genetic diversity through soil erosion and plant destruction, and also accelerates the carbon exchange process by damaging carbon sinks'. Socially, desertification causes population displacement as people search for better living conditions, often leading to conflicts and wars. Another social consequence is a dramatic reduction in the world's food supply due to the depletion of vital dryland vegetation and a decline in crop yields. Desertification is also linked to a number of health issues such as malnutrition, as clean water and sufficient food resources are extremely scarce. Economically, income potential is lost because land is unproductive, and monetary funds are devoted towards combating desertification, compromising economic growth and development. Crisis management becomes more important than achieving economic goals. Furthermore, increasing levels of poverty have resulted due to dire economic...

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Afforestation is sometimes considered as a method for stopping or slowing desertification. Desertification is the deterioration of land in arid climates due to loss of vegetation and soil moisture. If done correctly, creating forestland in areas in danger of desertification can slow erosion and reduce its spread. There are efforts in the Gobi Desert in China and the Sahara in Africa to use afforestation to prevent the desert from claiming more land area.
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| What Causes Desertification?
-Overgrazing
Overgrazing was not as large of a problem long ago because animals would move in response to rainfall. People would move with the animals so it prevented overgrazing in such areas. Now, humans have a steady food supply so they do not have to move about. Therefore, people use fences to keep their animals in one place which causes overgrazing. (Desertification, 2001)
-Farming of Average Land
Farming of average land is causing desertification worldwide. Farmers are clearing average land, and using it which takes away the richness in the soil. People should let the average land replenish itself before farming. (Desertification, 2005)
-Destruction of Plants in Dry Regions
Destruction of plants in dry regions is causing desertification to occur. People are cutting down tress to use them as a source of fuel. Once all these trees are cut down there is nothing to protect the soil. Therefore, it turns to dust and is blown away by the wind. (Desertification, 2005)
-Incorrect Irrigation in Arid Regions Causes a Build Up of Salt in the Soil
Incorrect irrigation is commonly used in poorer areas. Farmers are using canal irrigation and other poor techniques because of the lack of water. This type of irrigation causes a build up of salt in the soil. (Desertification, 2005) The Effects Of Desertification
-Soil becomes...

...Desertification
Today in many countries lands are becoming into deserts,and due to the conditions in the world soon we will not be able to take it backThere are two main causes of desertification,one is human activities and the other is climatic variations.
The first and the most important cause of desertification is human activities.Earlier desertification was only a natural formation but day by day humans are becoming responsible for it because of land mismanagements.Because of overgrazing, plants are eaten by mammals before they grow and multiply,then lands become arid.Also field destructions cause desertification.For example, destruction of agricultural fields makes the fields defenceless.Then wind blow away the surface and there is nothing left.Moreover,overcultivation of crops causes decrease in nutriens in soil,so it leads to desertification by declining soil fertility.Furthermore,deforestation reduces the protection of soil and because of rainforest destructions there is not enough water, the surface of soil becomes arid that leads to desertification.
The other cause of desertification is climatic variations.Due to global warming the climate changes,weather becomes warmer,so does the soil.Hot and dry weather causes drought,that is harmful for crops and valuable plants.The reduce in plants causes desertlike conditions.Also it is not possible to renovate the...

...Introduction:
Agriculture is an art, science and industry of managing the growth of plants and animals for human use. In broad sense, agriculture includes cultivation of the soil, growing and harvesting the crops, breeding and raising livestock, daring and forestry. Modern agriculture is engineering and technology based. Therefore, mechanization has eased much of the back breaking toil to the farmer. Agriculture is the backbone of economy of most of the countries of the world. About 48 percent of world's labour force is engaged with agriculture. For some countries, agriculture is the major source of foreign exchange for example Sri Lanka depends upon tea, Denmark specializes in dairy products and Australia in wool. Nations depends on agriculture not only for food but for national income and raw materials for industry as well, trade in agriculture is a constant international concern.
Agricultural scientists are of opinion that, about 40% of 37 million acre land of the world may be considered cultivable. Today, only 5.5 million sq miles (10% to 11%) of the land surface is actually cultivated. It is fact that nature sets the outer limits of man’s potential resources, because physical limitation, like temperature, rainfall, soil character and physiography, fix up the outer limit of cultivable land.
Factors Governing Agriculture:
Today,...

...Desertification is the land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas bordering deserts (UWC Enviro Facts). Because of poor land management productive land turns to non-productive land such as deserts (UWC Enviro Facts). It is the process of the loss of soil productivity and the thinning out, gradually, of the vegetative cover resulting from human activities and climatic variations. Such activities and variations are droughts and floods.
Some of the things you can do regarding desertification is join the activities of conservation groups (UWC Enviro Facts). Also, contact the Directorate of Resource Conservation to inform them on overgrazing and poor land management.
*Director of Resource Conservation. Department of Agriculture, P/Bag X120, Pretoria, 0001. Tel. 012-3197685.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “A 2007 report by the United Nations University maintains that the lives of 100 to 200 million people are affected by desertification. The report also notes that this phenomenon may cause the displacement of about 50 million people by 2017…” Those numbers are astronomical in regards to the people affected by desertification. We do not live in area where desertification is a problem; however, the people who live in Africa are most affected by desertification (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Worldwide, overgrazing is the main major cause of...

...Environmental problems
Of all the global environmental problems, desertification is, perhaps, the most threatening for poor rural people. The most accepted definition of desertification states that it is land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. Drylands cover almost 40 percent of the total land surface of the world and are inhabited by approximately 1 billion humans dispersed over more than 100 countries. These people include many of the world's most vulnerable, marginalized, and politically weak citizens. In spite of the progress in the understanding of the ecological dimension of this phenomenon, few communities' wellbeing has improved by the myriad action plans and activities carried out by local, regional, or national organizations, particularly in Africa. A growing body of evidence suggests that a closer look at the social system and the role of its components is critical to understanding this frequent outcome.
Drylands are characterized by water scarcity stemming from the conjunction of low water offer (i.e., precipitation) and high water demand (i.e., water lost to the atmosphere as water vapor from soil via evaporation and from plants through transpiration). Drylands' precipitation is highly variable through the year and occurs in infrequent, discrete, and largely unpredictable events. In turn, the high evaporative demand of the...

...Desertification in Niger
World Regional Geography
Desertification in Niger is a very progressive threat that is affecting not only the nation but also other neighboring regions along the Sahel. The Director of the National Department of the Environment in Niger said at the Direct Seeding seminar in Zinder that 250,000 hectares (roughly 618 acres) are being lost each year in Niger through desertification (Eden et al, 1994). Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas due to various factors: including climatic variations and human activities. Niger is one of the driest places in the world. The precipitation averages about 29 inches in the south and 8 inches in the north and the rainy season only lasts from June to October. In 2010, a monsoon hit Niger and even though you would think it could have helped, it didn’t. The monsoon caused mass erosion and destroyed many crops. This is just one of the many issues that Niger is trying to fight.
Besides rain, high temperatures can run from 81-106 degrees during the rainy season, making it even more difficult for agriculture to survive. On top of that, the Sahara desert can produce winds that reach up to 70 M.P.H.; these winds are called the Sirocco Winds. The Sirocco Winds will take sand from the desert and blow it into the farmlands, causing more devastation. Farmers that try to grow crops in these...

...﻿ HISTORY OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE
Early history
Barley and wheat cultivation—along with the domestication of cattle, primarily sheep and goat—was visible in Mehrgarh by 9000 BCE.
Vedic period – Post Maha Janapadas period (1500 BCE – 200 CE)
The Mauryan Empire (322–185 BCE) categorised soils and made meteorological observations for agricultural use.
Early Common Era – High Middle Ages (200–1200 CE)
Water storage systems were designed during this period. Kallanai, a dam built on river Kaveri during this period, is considered the as one of the oldest water-regulation structures in the world still in use.
Late Middle Ages – Early Modern Era (1200–1757 CE)
The construction of water works and aspects of water technology in India is described in Arabic and Persian works.
Colonial British Era (1757–1947 CE)
Few Indian commercial crops—such as Cotton, indigo, opium, and rice—made it to the global market under the British Raj in India.
Republic of India (1947 CE onwards)
The many 'production revolutions' initiated from 1960s onwards included Green Revolution in India, Yellow Revolution (oilseed: 1986-1990), Operation Flood (dairy: 1970-1996), and Blue Revolution (fishing: 1973-2002) etc.
HISTORY OF ORGANIC FARMING
Organic farming was practiced in India since thousands of years. The great Indian civilization thrived on organic farming and was one of the most prosperous countries in the world, till the British ruled...